JOURNAL

Hola Hola!

I hope you are all safe and healthy. While right now it feels really weird to talk about business we do this for a living and your support helps us thrive and grow. Our online shop is always open and available if you're up for retail therapy or need a special gift. We hope to bring you some joy and a breath from all the craziness of these days. Here are some measures we are implementing in response to the COVID-19 current situation.

• We are taking all the precautions. As always, all jewelry ships disinfected and clean. Everything gets packed with lots of care and with all the sanitary measures to ensure your safety and ours.

• We are offering free shipping on all PR & US orders and a discounted shipping rate for all international orders.

• We are shipping your orders once a week. Based on the amount of open orders we have, we are picking the most convenient day to ship all or most of the orders to avoid exposing ourselves and the Post Office employees.

• E-Gift Cards are now available for purchase online. We know that through these days we continue to have birthdays and special events or you may want to uplift someone's mood with a present. Gift cards are a convenient and easy detail for your loved ones!

• If you prefer to pick the gift yourself we can do the shipping for you. You may edit the 'ship to' address at checkout or contact us with your order number and the new address, we will make sure to ship it to the recipient. We can also add a free personalized message!

And that is basically it. No pressure, but if you are in the position to support a small business we would highly encourage you to. Most importantly we encourage you to stay at home, wash your hands and be kind. Practice a new hobby and stay calm. This too shall pass.

I will share more details for each event on Instagramso make sure you follow us there too.

Happy Holidays! xx-A

Brass

Currently most of my jewelry is handmade with brass. Brass is a durable and strong metal that is an alloy of copper and zinc. It will naturally oxidise when exposed to oxygen. The natural patina will make your piece color darker and though I love the look of the patina it can be easily removed to restore the shine of your piece. Here I will discuss three easy methods that you can try on your pieces.

Polishing Cloth or Pad

The first method is to use a polishing pad or cloth. Your piece will come with a square pad, don't toss it because it will help you clean your jewelry. We also offer a full size Sunshine polishing cloth, here. These are my favorite cloths and the ones we use at our Studio to easily retouch the pieces. Both the Sunshine cloths and the pad your piece includes have polishing compound impregnated and will only require some rubbing and you will easily see how it polishes the piece. This can be used with gold, silver, brass and other metals. Don't water it because that will remove the polishing compounds from it. Store it in a zip lock bag and use it until it gets completely black.

Ketchup

The second method I tried features one thing you probably have in your kitchen, ketchup. Yes, just ketchup! Cover your piece completely and let it sit for about 8-10 minutes. Wash your piece with warm water to remove any residue and dry with your blower to make sure it is completely dry.

Salt, Vinegar, Flour

The third method includes some other ingredients you can find in the kitchen. Mix 1 teaspoon of salt with 1/2 cup of vinegar and add flour until it feels like a paste. Cover your piece with the mixture and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Remove with warm water and dry with a blower to make sure it is completely dry.

You can repeat these methods on your piece if you are not pleased with the result.

In this photo you can see the before (left) and after (right) of the pieces. All methods work great! Now that your jewelry is shiny and clean remember to store it in an airtight place. I always recommend to avoid wearing your jewelry to the beach or pools and do not store your pieces in the bathroom, those will accelerate the tarnishing process. Have you ever tried any of these methods?

RAINBOWS

Rainbows are now available in sterling silver. I've been inspired by arches and how not to relate arches with rainbows! Rainbows are a meaningful shape that you can now wear. Which is your favorite? Silver or Brass?